It might be a little early to be planting peppers and tomatoes in the Rim Country, but now is the time to start getting your garden plot in shape or making a decision where to try raised bed gardening.

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More than 41 million Americans planted vegetable gardens in 2009 — a number expected to increase as food costs climb, according to a recent Gardening Trends Research Report. When you factor in flowers, herbs and fruits, it’s difficult to find a home where people are not working the soil on a warm sunny day.